Adjustable cap



Aprifl 21, E93 o. c. RlTZ-WOLLER ammw ADJUSTABLE CAP Filed April 15, 1955 Illll 3' YMK Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE CAP Oliver 0. Ritz-Weller, Chicago, 111.

Application April 15, 1933, Serial No. 666,276

4 Claims.

tion by the engagement of the clamping lugs with the under edges of the flange portions which are in the form of cams at opposite sides of the spout. These tubular members for a considerable number of cars are substantially standardized, but there is nevertheless a slight difference in the size and shape of the devices furnished with different makes of cars. It is the principal object of my invention to provide in a cap of this type a new and improved form and arrangement of parts by which the necessary adjustment may be effected for providing the desired close fit of the clamping means with the flange portions of the spouts of slightly different size and shape on different cars.

It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the drawing and are hereinafter specifically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth the clamping bars, being taken substantially at line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawing, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, I indicates a closure member in the form of a cast metal plate having a central boss II on its inner face in centered position thereon. As is best shown in Fig. 2, the boss II is provided with oppositely disposed grooves I2 and I3 across its inner face providing slideways for clamping bars I4 and I5 respectively along which said bars are slidable inwardly and outwardly longitudinally of the bars.

Each of the bars I4 and I5 is in the form of an angle, as is best shown in Fig. 5, one of the angular portions of which is provided with teeth I6 thereon adapted to mesh with the teeth of a segmental gear I1 which is revolubly mounted between the bars I4 and I5 as is best shown in Fig. 1. The segmental gear I1 is secured in position upon the inner face of the boss II by means of a set screw I8 which is mounted in a tapped opening in the face of the boss. The arrangement is such that when the set screw I8 is tightened against the gear, the gear is held against ro- .1

tary movement, serving to hold the clamping bars I4 and I5 in their adjusted position so as to be immovable longitudinally. When, however, the set screw I8 is loosened, the segmental gear I? can be rotated causing the clamp-ing bars I4 and I5 to move inwardly and outwardly in unison with respect to the closure member ID.

In the arrangement shown, the end tooth I9 of the rack bar portion of each of the clamping bars is of increased size as compared with the teeth I6 so as to prevent complete meshing of such tooth with the tooth notch of the segmental gear, whereby the gear serves to limit the outward movement of the bars with respect to the plate. The arrangement is such that when the bars are moved inwardly the engagement of the untoothed portion of the gear with the flange on the bar beyond the teeth I6 serves to limit such inward movement.

About the boss II underneath the bars I4 and I5, I have provided a ring gasket 20 of any approved type which is held from removal by engagement with the bars I4 and. I5.

At the outer end of each of the bars I4 and I5, the metal of the body portion of the bar is offset slightly to provide an outwardly projecting lug 2| as is best shown in Fig. 5. Each of the lugs 2I is pressed into rounded form for increasing the strength of the structure and for providing substantially single line engagement with the flange of the fllling spout.

In Fig. 4, my improved plate is shown in position upon the usual filling spout 22, with the lugs 2I of the clamping bars in engagement with the obliquely disposed bottom faces of the backwardly turned flange portions 23 of the spout, such flange portions 23 being formed integrally with the spout 22 through inwardly turned flange portions 24 at opposite sides of notches through which the engaging lugs of the slide bars are insertable into position for engagement with the backwardly turned flange portions. In this arrangement, the rounded lugs 2| of the clamping bars have effective engagement with the obliquely disposed bottom faces of the cam portions 23 of the filling spout for holding the cap securely in position regardless of the extent of the rotary motion of the cap with respect to the filling spout.

By the use of my improved construction, in which the clamping bars I4 and I5 are adjustable for locating the lugs 2| to precisely the desired positions with respect to the backwardly turned flange of the filling spout, I have provided a de vice which can be used to the best possible advantage for holding the cap firmly in effective closure position, while at the same time being capable of being quickly and easily removed when a moderate force is applied directly to the cap for turning it out of its clamped position. By my arrangement, whenever it is desired the bars I4 and I5 can be quickly and easily adjusted to changed position to fit a difierent filling spout, the bars being held automatically in similarly adjusted position for maintaining the two bars together in centered position with respect to the cap.

While I prefer to employ the form of device as shown in my drawing and as above described, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited thereto except so far as the claims may be limited by the prior art, it being understood that changes might well be made in the arrangement as shown without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:-

1. A closure cap comprising in combination a closure member, clamping bars movable inwardly and outwardly on the inner face of the closure member, and means comprising gearing connecting said two bars for adjusting them in unison and for securing the bars fixedly in adjusted position.

2. A closure cap comprising in combination a closure member, clamping bars movable inwardly and outwardly on the inner face of the closure member, a member rotatably mounted between said bars and having toothed engagement therewith for causing said bars to move inwardly and outwardly in unison, and means for clamping said rotary member fixedly in position for holding said bars against movement with respect to the closure member.

3. A closure cap comprising in combination a closure member, clamping bars movable inwardly and outwardly on the inner face of the closure member, racks carried by said bars longitudinally thereof, a segmental gear rotatably mounted between said bars adapted by engagement with said racks to cause the bars to move inwardly and outwardly in unison and to limit such movements, and means for clamping said segmental gear against rotary movement for holding said bars fixedly in adjusted position.

4. A closure cap comprising in combination a OLIVER C. RITZ-WOLLER. 

